Flatware and silverware design

ABSTRACT

Improved Flatware and Silverware Design benefits homeowners and commercial foodservice establishments by providing utensils that eliminate contamination from being placed on dirty surfaces. Furthermore, the Improved Flatware and Silverware Design have the additional advantages in that it allows cleaning and reuse of these utensils after use, and it allows these utensils to be stacked when stored to save space.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent applicationSer. No. 61/909,407, filed 2013 Nov. 27 by the present inventor.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to forks, knives, and spoons commonlyknown as flatware or silverware, where the surface of food contact iskept away from table top and other surfaces.

At a table in a restaurant, you will find flatware neatly wrapped in aclean cloth or paper napkin. The dilemma is where you keep them once youtake them out of the napkin since we all have seen how these tables arecleaned between uses. The same is true at parties or even in your ownhome.

A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that readdirectly to the claims of this invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a design forimproved flatware and silverware where the surface of food contact iskept away from table top and other unhygienic surfaces.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a design that canbe cleaned and reused.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a designthat does not tip over.

Yet another objective of the present invention is the utensils can bestacked when necessary to minimize storage space.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a designthat can be manufactured at a reasonable cost making it affordable forboth commercial and residential use.

These objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the descriptions, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, anembodiment of the present invention is disclosed. It is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited to this particular embodiment and thatit can be practiced or carried out in various ways.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a fork, according to the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a fork, according to the preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front side elevation view of a fork, according to thepreferred embodiment of the present invention showing how the foodcontact area is kept away from the table surface.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of multiple forks stacked together,according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a knife, according to the preferred embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a knife, according to the preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front side elevation view of a knife, according to thepreferred embodiment of the present invention showing how the foodcontact area is kept away from the table surface.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of multiple knives stacked together,according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a top view of a spoon, according to the preferred embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a spoon, according to the preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a front side elevation view of a spoon, according to thepreferred embodiment of the present invention showing how the foodcontact area is kept away from the table surface.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of multiple spoons stacked together,according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Drawings - Reference Numerals 100 Fork 101 tip of the fork 102 inside ofthe fork 204 neck of the knife 103 back of the fork 205 handle of theknife 104 neck of the fork 300 Spoon 105 handle of the fork 301 tip ofthe spoon 200 Knife 302 inside of the spoon 201 tip of the knife 303back of the spoon 202 inside of the knife 304 neck of the spoon 203 backof the knife 305 handle of the spoon

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment is provided herein. Itis to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodiedin various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are notto be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims andas a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employthe present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system,structure or manner.

In accordance with the present invention, FIG. 1 shows a top view of thefork 100, showing the tip of the fork 101, the inside of the fork 102,the neck of the fork 104, and the handle of the fork 105. The tip of thefork 101, the inside of the fork 102, and the back of the fork 103 arethe areas of the fork 100 that come in contact with food. FIG. 2 showsthe perspective of the fork 100. FIG. 3 is the front elevation of thefork 100 showing how the back of the fork 103, the tip of the fork 101and the inside of the fork 102 are prevented from making physicalcontact with the surface on which the fork is placed. The fork 100 restson the neck 104 and the handle of the fork 105. FIG. 4 shows how thefork 100 can be stacked when it is not in use to minimize usage ofstorage space.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the knife 200, showing the tip of the knife201, the inside of the knife 202, the neck of the knife 204, and thehandle of the knife 205. The tip of the knife 201, the inside of theknife 202, and the back of the knife 203 are the areas of the knife 200that come in contact with food. FIG. 6 shows the perspective of theknife 200. FIG. 7 is the front elevation of the knife 200 showing howthe back of the knife 203, the tip of the knife 201 and the inside ofthe knife 202 are prevented from making physical contact with thesurface on which the knife is placed. The knife 200 rests on the neck204 and the handle of the knife 205. FIG. 8 shows how the knife 200 canbe stacked when it is not in use to minimize usage of storage space.

FIG. 9 shows a top view of the spoon 300, showing the tip of the spoon301, the inside of the spoon 302, the neck of the spoon 304, and thehandle of the spoon 305. The tip of the spoon 301, the inside of thespoon 302, and the back of the spoon 303 are the areas of the spoon 300that come in contact with food. FIG. 10 shows the perspective of thespoon 300. FIG. 11 is the front elevation of the spoon 300 showing howthe back of the spoon 303, the tip of the spoon 301 and the inside ofthe spoon 302 are prevented from making physical contact with thesurface on which the spoon is placed. The spoon 300 rests on the neck304 and the handle of the spoon 305. FIG. 12 shows how the spoon 300 canbe stacked when it is not in use to minimize usage of storage space.

Alternate Embodiment

In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed typicalpreferred embodiments or implementation of the invention or thematerials used in the construction and, although specific terms areemployed, they are used in generic and descriptive sense only and notfor the purposes of limiting the scope of the invention.

Advantages

The present invention allows you to place flatware and silverware on atable top or other surface where the surface of food contact does notmake physical contact with the table top or other surface where it isplaced, without tipping over. These utensils can be cleaned and reusedand the design is such that they can be manufactured at a reasonablecost making is affordable for commercial and residential use. Thepresent invention also allows these utensils to be stacked when not inuse to minimize usage of storage space.

Conclusion, Ramification and Scope

Accordingly, the reader will see that the Improved Flatware andSilverware Design benefits homeowners and commercial foodserviceestablishments by providing utensils that minimize contamination frombeing placed on dirty surfaces. Furthermore, the Improved Flatware andSilverware Design have the additional advantages in that it allowscleaning and reuse of these utensils after use, and allows theseutensils to be stacked when stored to save space.

Although the description above contains much specificity, these shouldnot be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiment but as merelyproviding illustrations of one of several embodiments. Thus the scope ofthe embodiment should be determined by the appended claims and legalequivalents, rather than the examples given.

What is claimed is:
 1. Improved Flatware and Silverware: wherein thefood contact area of the said utensil does not make contact with thesurface where the utensil is placed.
 2. The Improved Flatware andSilverware of claim 1, where the said utensil eliminates contaminationwhen placed on any surface.
 3. The Improved Flatware and Silverware ofclaim 1, where the said utensil can be washed and reused.
 4. TheImproved Flatware and Silverware of claim 1, where the said utensil canbe disposable.
 5. The Improved Flatware and Silverware of claim 1, wherethe said utensil can be made of any material suitable for this purpose.6. The Improved Flatware and Silverware of claim 1, where the saidutensil can manufactured at a reasonable cost.
 7. The Improved Flatwareand Silverware of claim 1, where the said utensil can be stacked whenstored to save space.
 8. The Improved Flatware and Silverware of claim1, where the design prevents the utensil from tipping over when placedon a flat surface.
 9. The Improved Flatware and Silverware of claim 1,which benefits both home owners and commercial food serviceestablishments.